Improvement in compounds for rendering photographic paper translucent



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HELEN VICTORIA HOLMES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT lN COMPOUNDS FOR RENDERING PHOTOGRAPHIC PAPER TRANSLUCENT.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 196,454, dated October 23, 1877'; application filed June 9, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HELEN VICTORIA HOLMES, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful composition or compound for use in treating photographs, to make of them opalliographs or translucent pictures or portraits, and a mode of applying the same; and I do hereby declare that the following is such a full, clear, and exact description thereof as will enable those skilled in the art to which it relates to make and apply the same.

My invention relates to that class of compounds which are used in the photographic art; and consists of a mixture made of Canada balsam and spirits of turpentine, in the proportion of two equal parts of Canada balsam to one part of turpentine, to be applied to photograph-paper; and its purpose is to render translucent the paper upon which pictures or portraits are taken or printed by the photographic process.

When prepared as stated, and thoroughly mixed, the compound may be applied to any ordinary photographic paper or picture printed on such paper, by the ordinary photographic process or otherwise, by spreading the compound upon a flat glass plate of a size to correspond with that of the picture or its frame.

The face of the picture, or that side of the paper upon which the picture is printed, is

' then placed against the glass plate and upon ing; but I prefer to finish the portrait on the glass.

A portrait or picture treated with this com- POIUld, by the process and in the manner I have described, may be painted and colored or shaded from or on the back, and finished off in any style that may be desired.

lVhen treated or prepared as described, the portrait or picture presents a smoothness and delicacy of finish that have not been hitherto attained in the art.

The effect of. this compound tends also to preserve the picture or portrait, and to prevent it from fading.

I am aware that Canada balsam and spirits of turpentine have been used before, in. combination, for the purpose of rendering photographs and engravings translucent, and such I do not claim, broadly; but I have found, by long and careful experiment, that a solution of the twoingredients, and only in the exact proportions namecL-when applied specifically as described, and in no other mannerproduces eifects which can be secured by no vague use of either or both ingredients, whether combined in accidental proportions or applied separately.

, Having thus described my invention, and the method of applying the same, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The compound, hereinbefore described, for rendering photographs and photographic paper translucent, composed of two parts of Canada balsam and one part of spirits of turpentine, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The process of producing opalliographs or translucent portraits or pictures, when the same are made translucent by means of a compound consisting, essentially, of two parts of Canada balsam and one part of spirits of turpentine, applied substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

HELEN VICTORIA HOLMES.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. WHIPPLE, HENRY S. 'IowLE. 

